Naru's Story: The Tale of an Unholy Priestess
by YateroHirashi
Summary: -rewrite of Second Coming of a Crimson Eyed God- Naru lives in the depths of hatred caused by her village, sinking lower as the time passes. One day, the abuse is taken too far, and she is sent into the realm of Divine Beings. Making a deal with the devil, Naru returns with an unlikely companion, as she carries on the title of Unholy Priestess. fem!Naruto, Language/Gore warning.
1. The Beginning Starts at the End

**Yes, I have rewritten it. I didn't like the current way I had set up the plot, because I was rushing things too much. I have decided to make several changes to the plot, and as such, had to rewrite the story to prevent conflicting plots. I apologize for those that like the former story, but I will make it up to you all with this!**

**Warning: The Konoha Council (specifically the civilian and elder sides), Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Ino, Neji, and a majority of Konoha's civilians will be bashed throughout the story. Naruto IS a female in this revision, and will be referred to as 'Naru'.**

* * *

**Arc: Introduction Arc  
****Prologue: The Beginning Starts at the End.**

Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was often viewed as 'The Village of Peace', because of the overall warmth that seemed to exude from the village, and it's people in waves. From the weary travelers, to visiting shinobi, they were all shown top-notch hospitality. All of the civilians were friendly, the shinobi in the village were not hostile towards visitors, and the Hokage himself was a kind man. Everyone seemed to look out for each other. Even those without families were well taken care of, along with strays, the sick, and the poor. The equality shown had even surprised Iwa shinobi that had visited, for they had been expecting a purely militant village.

Yet, through this, there seemed to be one variable that was over looked. A child around five years of age, currently hiding in a dumpster as the sounds of hateful insults, and promises of pain rang through the alleyways which the dumpster was located in. 'His' spiked blond hair was dampened with dirt, to the point where it looked like 'he' hadn't cleaned himself in days. 'His' normally shining cerulean eyes were steeled over in a look of worry, and pain. 'His' lower lip was quivering to the point where the ragged pained breaths 'he' was trying to hold in were escaping 'him'. On 'his' neck, there were several round bruises. Four to the left, and one on the right. Yet, the entire neck seemed to be slightly bruised, even if it wasn't as apparent as those marks. 'His' torn white shirt was sullied with the various substances in the dumpster, and 'his' black shorts were stained with red, as the crimson substance dripped down 'his' leg.

While the child was hiding in the dumpster, he was unaware of the activities that were happening in the alleyway. Several civilians had scattered throughout the streets the child was last spotted in, all searching for the blond. As they scurried about, they barely noticed the arrival of a figure in a long black robe. He was currently standing on the rooftop in which the dumpster was located behind, bending down in a crouching position to scope the alley. The mask on his face, shaped oddly like a Dog's face, was briefly removed. It revealed a teenager with silver hair, a dull looking black mask covering most of his face, obscuring his mouth and nose. At first glance, it could be assumed the man had Heterochromia Iridus, for his right eye was a sleek black, while the left was a glowing red. Yet if one looked closely enough, they would see three tomoe spinning around the pupil. As he looked down upon the scene, he was soon joined by a second figure, also hidden behind the black velvet cloak. The only visible feature that could be seen, were two purple bangs coming down just past her neck.

"Inu-sempai...shouldn't we do something about this? They always get this bad during 'Happy Hour'..." The woman drawled, worry evident in her voice. The silver haired man just shook his head, staring down at the scene below. They were now calling out various insults; Demon, whore, monster, murderer, bitch, or a combination of any two listed. They were usually accompanied by a threat, or an order for the blond to show 'itself'.

"No...you know the law. We can't intervene unless they actually find her. If we did, then they could say they were just walking about, thus giving the civilian council a way to get around the law. If we want to catch these bastards...we have to wait. I know you care for the girl, Neko, but don't let your maternal instincts get the best of you." Inu ordered, yet growled at the mention of the council. However, he stood up and quickly slid his mask back into place. It seems like they had heard the blond child, and had surrounded the dumpster.

"C'mon you little demon whore. Don't keep your betters waiting..." One of the men in the group slurred, casually bringing his fist down upon the lid. The resounding bang had the desired effect, and a cry was heard. A second man gave a grin, stepping forward as silently as he could. As he did so, he put his ear to the dumpster, not minding the slime that had coated it through the various years it had seen. Giving a thumbs-up to the third, he used the noises from the inside to pinpoint the exact location where the blond had hidden. Standing up to full height, the man brought out a sharpened knife. Lunging forward, the man was about to make contact, when a blur of movement shuffled in front of him.

Inu had positioned himself in front of the knife, using a tanto held in a reverse grip to block it. The clang of metal was heard, and the knife gave in, for Dog maneuvered his free hand to smack the underside of the man's wrist, the force of which made him drop the knife. As this happened, the man backed up, sending a worried glance to the first. Yet he had to hold in the urine that was working its way through his bladder, because as he tried to call for help, he noticed that there was now a tanto being held to his neck. He turned his head a bit, and his blood ran cold when he saw Neko, radiating killer intent. Seeing the intervention, the remaining civilians seemed to back away from the first two, before disassembling their little mob, not wishing to be caught by the Hokage's personal guards, the ANBU.

"Ahem...due to Hokage's Law, Section 3, Article 9; The Jinchuuriki Law...you are both under arrest for almost revealing an S-rank secret, and attempting treason. If you have anything to say in your defense, please say it now, or we shall proceed to escort you to the Hokage's Office where you will receive punishment fitting your crime. Personally, I would warrant death for what you two blundering fools almost did, but lucky for you, I don't make the rules." Inu spoke with such venom that Manda, the King of Snakes, would be proud. By now, both of the civilians looked like they had wet themselves, and they had paled considerably. Yet, the one with a tanto near his neck actually had the gall to speak out.

"That filthy demon bitch got what she deserved! That damned Ky-" This was all he managed to get out, because with a quick slide of Neko's tanto, he crumpled to the floor, blood spilling from his new wound. Kicking the body aside, Neko grabbed the first civilian's arm, and proceeded to use the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), leaving behind a swirl of leaves as the pair disappeared, presumably to the Hokage's office. When Inu finished cleaning up the scene, he quickly walked over to the trash can, knocking in a soft manner.

"I...I heard your voice...I-i-is that you, Inu-san?" The girl inside stuttered, the voice filled with so much hope, that it had both warmed Inu's heart, and brought tears of regret to his eyes. He hated how he couldn't be there for the girl all the time. The damn council forbid anyone from taking care of her, so the most he could do was protect her from the civilians.

'And even then, I'm not all that competent...' Inu thought, before responding to the girl, "Yes, Naru-chan. Inu is here. Please, come out from the dumpster...you shouldn't be forced to dirty yourself like that." The request was spoken softly, knowing that the newly identified Naru was probably shaken from the event. Slowly, the lid opened, and the mop of spiked blond hair was visible, before the girl fully lifted her body into visibility, as she clambered out of the dumpster.

"Inu-san...am I in trouble for being a demon?" The girl asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she recalled the loneliness of being whatever the word meant. Inu just released a bit of killer intent, yet reeled it back in when he remembered he was in the girl's presence. Instead of hunting down the civilian bastards that did this to her, he knelt down, and hugged the girl. Naru just whimpered as she knelt into Inu's warm body, tears dripping down her face as she did so.

"No, Naru-chan...you're not a demon, so you can't be in trouble for being one. Don't listen to the civilians. They're just hateful bigots that discriminate against you because of something you can't control..." Inu whispered, slowly rubbing the girl's back as he stood. He then proceeded to take to the rooftops, intent on bringing the girl to see the Hokage. They needed to talk about her living conditions, and he wouldn't be refused again.

* * *

With Neko...

"Excuse me, Ms. Fujizaku, is Hokage-sama available?" Neko questioned politely. She had to tread carefully around the bitter old woman. She was one of the many civilians that had lost loved ones in the Kyuubi Attack, causing her to be a bitter old woman that absolutely hated Naru. As a result, she would often stall the ANBU and Jounin that came in with civilians caught attacking the five year old. However, she still kept up a facade of kindness, lest she get fired by the Hokage.

Ms. Fujizaku merely looked up from her position, where she was reading a tattered green book, before muttering something. As she lowered the feet from the makeshift footrest under the counter, she reached a slightly wrinkled hand towards the clipboard in front of her. Glancing at the page, she snorted, before turning back to Neko so fast, that the dyed brown hair slightly flew out of place, her green eyes narrowing as she sneered.

"Sorry, but Hokage-sama is currently in a meeting with Elders Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. You'll have to come back later, girl." She spoke, using a business tone to try to hide the hatred in her voice, yet failed miserably. Neko just sighed, before snatching the clipboard in a swift movement, ignoring the old bat's heated cries of protest. Looking over the list of appointments, she found the time which the meeting would end...four hours ago.

'That lying old bitch...I really need to talk to Hokage-sama about this. These people need to be taken care of immediately, not at the convenience of this wrinkled perfume riddled bat.' Neko thought bitterly, before clearing her throat. "I see Hokage-sama is free. Thank you for your help, Ms. Fujizaku. Please, continue to do your job with some proficiency, lest you are on the end of a reprimand for obstructing justice." With that, Neko opened to door to the left of the desk, dragging along the knocked out civilian with her. Reaching the end of the hallway, she knocked on the wooden oak doors in front of her.

"Enter." An elderly voice from inside had called, yet it had sounded very tired. Slowly opening the door, Neko slid inside, throwing the civilian in front of her, before closing the door behind her. After dragging a chair from the side of the room forward, Neko plopped down into the chair, using the civilian as a footrest. Not feeling the need to hide her identity in front of her boss, she took off her mask, revealing Uzuki Yuugao. Her hair was cropped in front, the short, silky bangs barely reaching the tips of her eyebrows, while it reached her waist in the back. She had kind honey-brown eyes, and she had a soft smile gracing her face, as she prepared to deliver the good news to her Hokage.

"Well...what can I do for you, ANBU Uzuki?" The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, questioned. He was currently wearing the Hokage Robes, leaving off the hat. The robes involved a red gown, tied at the waist by a white sash, while an ankle-length white cloak was worn over it. Hiruzen had spiked gray hair that was balding on the top, the blank spot covered in a few liver spots. His narrow eyes held cobalt irises, but still held a loving twinkle in them. He had wrinkes creasing the underside of his eyes, while at the end of his narrow chin, a gray goatee hung from his face. While he had a grandfatherly aura, his posture suggested that he was a man of power that demanded respect.

"Well, Hokage-sama, I found this..." Yuugao stopped, trying to be professional in front of her Hokage, so she refrained from using any insults, "...civilian breaching the Jinchuuriki Law, and as such, I brought him here to await his sentencing by your hand, as you requested of ANBU." With that, Yuugao bowed her head, indicating she was done speaking. Hiruzen just nodded, taking out his pipe.

Bring it towards his mouth, Hiruzen used a small Katon jutsu to light it. 'Oh dear Naru...what would your parents think of this village of ours?' Hiruzen thought, closing his eyes as he took a drag from the pipe. He was getting up there in the years, and the constant pressure from the council to hinder Uzumaki Naru was taking it's toll on him. He shed the grandfatherly look, revealing his true appearance; That of a tired old man whom only wanted peace for his surrogate granddaughter.

Yuugao just sat in silence as she watched Hiruzen close his eyes, the old man rubbing his temple in annoyance as he stared down at the garbage she had rested her feet upon. She knew what this would lead to. Another council meeting in which the civilians tried to have Naru killed for causing a disturbance, even though she had done nothing. How she hated politics.

"Well, we'll have to bring him in front of the civilian and shinobi council. You know they'll throw a fit if we don't...although we already know what the verdict will be." Hiruzen spoke, though there was disappointment clear in his voice. It wasn't a secret to the ANBU how much the Hokage and Shinobi Council detested the civilian side, sans the other three elders. They would have been thrown in prison long ago if Hiruzen could just get some evidence on them.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. After Hiruzen gave his verbal permission, in came Inu, better known as Hatake Kakashi. Behind him, Naru was hiding, clutching his right leg in fear as they walked in. Hiruzen immediately stood up, walking around the desk, for he wished to check on his granddaughter. Naru still had tears down her face, but embraced the elderly man anyway. Kakashi merely stood there with a grim look on his face, and Hiruzen was able to interpret what had happened from said gaze.

"I apologize for what they did to you, Naru...did you recognize anyone in the crowd near you?" Hiruzen inquired, using his grandfatherly tone. It wouldn't do well if she were to be spooked in her fragile state, for she tended to clam up after that. Naru just shook her head in disagreement, yet she had recognized a few: Harune Hitomi, one of the orphanage caretakers; Suifuuka Gou, one of the vendors in Konoha's marketplace; and Touji Mizuki, whom worked at the academy. Yet, she knew she couldn't tell. They always knew if she said something to the Hokage, and that landed her in more trouble.

'They'll just beat me again...I know it...' Naru reminded herself, fear overtaking her thought process, as she proceeded to bury her head in Hiruzen's shoulder, clutching the man's robes as if her life had depended on it. Although, her thoughts were pretty clear to the trained ANBU in the room, along with the highly experienced Hokage. As he tried to calm the girl down, the civilian beneath Yuugao's feet began to stir, which caused the woman to send a warning glance to Hiruzen.

"Ah...Kakashi, could you take Naru for some Ichiraku Ramen? I heard they were having a special today..." He said, causing Naru to brighten up a bit, releasing her grip as she jumped down. She walked up to the masked-nin, raising her hands upwards, clearly a request for him to carry her. Chuckling a bit, Kakashi knelt down to pick the girl up. As he did so, he gave Hiruzen a small nod, before going out the open window to the left. Now that Naru was gone, they could start the questioning.

* * *

At Ichiraku Ramen...

Kakashi had leaped off of the final rooftop, which was across the street from Ichiraku Ramen, and landed in a crouched position. He had decided to give Naru a piggyback ride to the stand, and all throughout the ride, she was giggling. The girl was actually laughing! Kakashi almost never heard her do that, unless she found something particularly fun or amusing.

Naru wasn't like most girls, thanks to the village. She was more reserved, usually keeping to herself when around others. More often than not, she didn't speak unless spoken too, and even then, it was a quiet mumble. Many of the villagers originally thought she was a boy, thanks to the boyish hairstyle she had, so they were quite brutal at first. However, after finding out Naru's gender, some toned their abuse down a bit. This was not the case for most of the village. In fact, it only fueled them more, and gave them more things to attack her with. She was only five, yet she knew of the world and it's pain.

To that end, Kakashi was disgusted with this village. They were doing the same thing to Naru as they did to her mother, which only stopped in the later years, once she was married to Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime (Fourth) Hokage. Kushina had grown up in Uzushiogakure, however, so she had a normal childhood. It was when she had to enter the academy at Konoha, that her life had changed. Though, by that time, she was capable of defending herself against those that attacked her.

Feeling a tug on his leg, Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Naru giving him a confused look, before she pointed at the stand. Giving a laugh at the girl's antics, Kakashi grasped Naru's hand as he walked her across the street. They paid no mind to the hateful glares sent their way; Kakashi because he knew that they would try nothing while he was here, and Naru because she was focused on the ramen shop in front of her.

As they got near the entrance, Kakashi pushed past the hanging white sheets, which held the kanji for Ramen Ichiraku (Ramen is The Best Pleasure), written in red. As they entered the stand, Ichiraku Ayame, the owner's daughter, immediately leaped over the counter, carefully landing on her feet as she did so, and swept Naru up. Kakashi, not used to seeing this, immediately got into a stance, but relented once he saw what she was doing. As he went back to normal, he whipped out a familiar orange book, giggling a bit.

"My my, don't you look cute today, little Naru!" Ayame squealed, hugging the girl to her chest. Her long brown hair was tyed back, and she wore a white bonnet to keep it from getting in her eyes. Her eyes, which matched her hair color, reflected the strong feelings she had for her younger friend. Ayame set Naru down after a bit, and ruffled her blond locks. Naru simply looked up at her, blushing from embarrassment.

"Aya-neechan, don't do thaaatttt!" She cried out, playfully pushing the girl, though Ayame didn't budge. "You'll make me look bad in front of Ero-Inu!" With that, Kakashi felt the intensity of Ayame's glare beating down on him, and she suddenly brought out a skillet from the back of her apron.

"Oh...this could be bad..." Kakashi muttered, feeling the killer intent of the woman before him. Ayame suddenly calmed herself, and walked up to Kakashi with a cheerful smile on her face, getting into his personal space. She had seemingly copied his eye smile, perhaps to hide her fury? Kakashi quickly put the book away, hoping it would quell the girl's anger...but that didn't work. Instead, Ayame leaned forward, whispering into Kakashi's ear.

"You know...you shouldn't read such materials...especially in the presence of a five year old girl. You could leave very bad impressions on a girl so young, and I'm a bit protective over who my younger sister is around. If I see you with that book out again, I'll have to see if I can make 'Icha Icha Ramen' the new special." Ayame growled, but kept her voice down so that Naru couldn't hear. Kakashi just sweatdropped and frowned, while inner-Kakashi was clutching his Icha Icha protectively.

"Hey, hey! Aya-neechan, are you kissing Ero-Inu?" It was at this point, that Ichiraku Teuchi had walked through the door from the back. He had originally came to see Naru, but after hearing that comment, he glanced towards Ayame...

"OI, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"

* * *

Back at the Hokage's Office...

Within the Hokage's office, the lights had been dimmed to the point of non-existance, and the only major light source was the candle on Hiruzen's desk, which was laid carefully on top of a stack of paperwork. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, no longer holding a kind expression on his face. This was the look of a man whom served in many battles, went through wars and lived, and killed hundreds. This was 'The Professor', the once feared man whom had slain countless shinobi in the First Shinobi World War.

The civilian, whom Hiruzen had found out was Shigure Hiiro, was currently in front of him, tied to a chair. Surrounding him were Yuugao, Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko. The last two were members of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Unit, dedicated to breaking the most hardened criminals to find information to help Konoha. While many would crack under the pressure, both thoroughly enjoyed their jobs. They were both hardcore sadists, after all.

Hiruzen didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to kill the man in front of him. He had been behind several attempts to end Naru's life, and one of the few to actually injure the girl. He was the one that delivered the stab wound to Naru's leg today. He had almost forgotten in the commotion. However, if he were to bring this man in front of the council, they'd let him go for sure. In fact, they'd probably make a 'National Shigure Day', in which Hiiro-teme was celebrated, while Naru was beaten vigorously...again...

Anko was leaning forward on the balls of her feet, her violet hair undone from it's usual ponytail. Her eyes, which were a chocolate color with no pupils, held a menacing gleam in them. In her hand, a kunai was quivering in anticipation, while she licked her lips dangerously. The others in the room thought that she was going to go wild on Hiiro, especially since she was so protective over Naru, having been through the same things she had.

Ibiki just stood there, sighing. He was wearing a black bandana over his head, his sharp black eyes narrowed in a hidden rage. Although he wasn't as obvious about it at Anko was, he wanted to kill the man in front of him for the sins he had committed. The trench coat he wore shuffled lightly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, fingering the various weapons he kept within.

Yuugao refused to leave the room, wishing to watch this for herself. She wanted to see this fucker pay, for everything he had done to the sweet innocent girl known as Naru! 'This bastard...this GOD DAMN BASTARD! HOW DARE HE EVEN THINK OF LAYING A FINGER ON HER!' She ranted in her mind, hatred coursing through her veins. She was honestly sick of all of the civilians that were needlessly hunting Naru. All because of those damned elders...if only she could wrap her hands around their throats...

Right as they were about to start the interrogation, which involved Anko torturing Hiiro into submission, was interrupted by a harsh rapt on the door. Giving a death glare to the door, Hiruzen motioned for Yuugao to unlock it, giving his usual permission to enter. As soon as Yuugao turned the handle, she was roughly pushed out of the way as Koharu entered the room, followed closely by Homura.

"Hiruzen, stop this atrocity right now! You know you aren't supposed to act like this without consulting the council first. What if the council were to deem him innocent? How would that look if someone were to find out? Do you want us to be the joke of the Elemental Nations?" She yelled, unjust rage filling her system. Hiruzen looked like he was ready to kill her, and was fighting the urge to strangle the nagging wrinkled bag of flesh in front of him, when Homura spoke.

"Aside from Koharu's ramblings..." A jab was given to his side, causing the man to flinch but otherwise keep his composure, "The council has found out about Hiiro-san behind held captive, along with Godai Shinji's death, and wish to see you, and Hiiro. You may bring Yuugao-san, Anko-san, and Ibiki-san if you wish, but the council will most likely throw a fit about the second in that listing..." With that said, Homura turned on heel, exiting the room. Koharu let out a huff in annoyance, before following her fellow elder. As soon as they had left, Anko let loose. While doing so, she landed a vicious crack to Hiiro's jaw, causing a cracking sound to be heard within the room.

Hiiro just started laughing, despite the pain that he was in. He knew he would be set free, and this would give him even more motivation to get the 'demon whore', as everyone so kindly dubbed her. He would finally kill her...tonight would be the night. Even if he couldn't be there, he had set it up so that she would be murdered. The council meeting was a distraction, and Inu would be called in to give his story. Hiiro knew the girl would walk home alone, and that is when they would strike. His cackling could be heard by Ms. Fujizaku, whom simply gave a smirk. Yes, the bitch secretary was in on it too. As he was dragged through the doors by Ibiki, whom was following Hiruzen, Yuugao, and Anko, they shared a secretive smile. Yes...tonight would be a good night.

* * *

Back at Ichiraku Ramen...

Naru was sitting in front of the bar, a steaming hot bowl of ramen placed in front of her. She was smiling as she dug into the contents of the bowl, nearly inhaling them in hunger as she did so. Next to her, a small stack of bowls which was slowly rising, were perfectly set upon the table, making a tiny tower. Kakashi seemed to let out a cry as he observed the scene, mentally kissing his wallet goodbye.

Although, Kakashi was relatively pleased that his sensei's daughter could actually find a place where she could smile, and be happy. A place where she wasn't discriminated against because of what she contained. The two owners, Ichiraku Teuchi, and Ichiraku Ayame, treated the girl like family. However, Kakashi was still a bit shocked that Teuchi was a retired Jounin, and had the accuracy that surpasses Gai when he had his Nunchaku out. Especially since he was on the receiving end of a ladel to the face...

Oh, how Kakashi would have cried, if he had to remove his mask.

"Ne, Ero-Inu, why did you take me out for ramen? Nobody besides Aya-neechan, and Teu-tousan are this nice to me. Not even Hokage-jiji, seeing as he is always busy!" Naru questioned. Kakashi sighed at the nickname, but was debating on how to answer this question. If he wanted to make a good impression, he'd have to lie a bit...but that would be the founding of a bad relationship. Could he just go out and say 'Because you're my sensei's daughter? He supposed he couldn't, seeing as Hiruzen wanted them to wait to reveal Naru's heritage.

"Ah...well, for starters, please call me Kakashi-sama!" Kakashi began, an air of pseudo arrogance overcoming him as he crossed his arms, and gave the girl one of his eye smiles. This quickly earned him the sight of Ayame imitating ripping something up. "Ah...Kakashi-san works fine too. Anyway, I took you out for some ramen, because I know how hard life can be sometimes. At those times, nothing feels better than a nice steaming bowl of ramen, and since I heard you like it so much, I decided to get you some!" Kakashi exclaimed, hoping that the questions would end. He knew first hand how inquisitive the young girl could be, even at such a young age. It would be just his luck that she called him on the white lie...

"Oh...okay then." Naru said, a grin being spread across her face. Kakashi mentally let out a breath of relief, but he still was weary of the girl, lest she throw a curve ball question.

However, she remained silent as she slurped her ramen, her eyes closing in delight. Well, it seems all was well...Until a squad of ANBU proceeded to enter the stand, walking up to Kakashi. Now this was surprising. They wouldn't come here unless there was something required of him...which meant that there was probably a-

"Kakashi-sempai...the council requested that we bring you to the Hokage's Meeting Chambers. There is another one of those delightful meetings being held, and none of us wanted to listen to the 'High and Mighty' Haruno Minikui screeching at the top of her lungs. So please, do us a favor, and just go to the damn meeting." The head ANBU, whom was in a Tiger Mask, requested. Though, he soon found himself with a rather large bump on his head, courtesy of Ayame.

"Oi! There is a child in here, watch your mouth!" Ayame ordered, glaring at the ANBU. Surprisingly enough, they all gulped and bowed their heads, with Tiger Mask apologizing to both Ayame and Naru. Kakashi, however, stood up with an audible sigh. He hated these damn meetings with a passion, especially when he was called for no damn reason...as usual.

Naru just sat there, curiously gazing at Kakashi. 'Does Kaka-san have to go? Just because the mean people in the black robes said he had to? No! They punish criminals. Is Kaka-san in trouble for helping me? They can't take him away!' She thought, a look of worry crossing her face. She had misinterpretted the meeting as a sentencing, and as such, had hopped out of her chair. Within the second, a light wail was heard, and the ANBU had looked down to see Naru clutching Kakashi's leg, not willing to let go.

"No! You can't take Kaka-san away! He just got here! He wasn't a bad man, don't make him go to the council meeting!" She cried out, making a few of the ANBU chuckle. Kakashi just stood there, his one visible eyebrow raised.

"Well, gentlemen, you know its bad when a five year old knows the council meetings are bad. Anyway...tell the old bats I'll be there in a moment. I have to finish up my business here." With that said, the ANBU nodded, disappearing from the stand. Kakashi glanced down at Naru, before gently prying her off, and setting her back in her chair.

Naru just sat there, with tear filled eyes, before letting out a small whisper, "Kaka-san...are you going away like everyone else?" That one question, accompanied by the sorrowful tone, was almost enough to make Kakashi's heart shatter. To think that in such a short time of them knowing each other, not counting when Kakashi had saved her in his ANBU uniform, she had already worried about him when he had to leave. 'Or was it perhaps a fear of being abandoned?' Kakashi mused, before shaking his head of these thoughts.

"No, Naru. I'll only be at the Hokage's office for important business. I promise, I'll be back as soon as possible." Kakashi reassured her, giving a small masked smile when the girl calmed down a bit.

"Okay...but if you don't come back, I'll never forgive you!" The blond proclaimed, giving the ANBU in front of her the best glare she could muster up. Instead of menacing, it came off as adorable, and elicited an 'Awwwww' from Ayame. Teuchi just shook his head, and returned towards the back of the shop, no doubt to continue cooking the delicious ramen he so expertly made.

"Alright Naru...how about this? I can seal the deal, to make sure that I'll have to come back, how does that sound?" Kneeling down, Kakashi brought up his right hand, interlocking his pinky with the blond's now outstretched pinky. As he grasped it, he gave the girl a reassuring eye smile, before slightly bringing it up, "Jaa yubikiri shiyou (Let us make a pinky promise, not sure if this is an accurate translation)!"

Giggling at the silver haired man's antics, Naru returned the chant, remembering Hiruzen-jiji teaching it to her. "Yubikiri genman uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu (If you lie, I shall make you swallow a thousand needles, though like before, this may be incorrect)! Aya-neechan, since you're here, can you be are secret person?" Naru requested, giving an adorable tilt of her head as she did so.

"Ah...of course, Naru-chan! If Kakashi lies, I'll make sure he eats a thousand needles...though through which head, I still haven't decided..." Ayame returned, a threatening tone entering her voice at the end. Kakashi merely twitched in fear, and Naru held a confused look on her face, contemplating where her Kaka-san could have another head.

"Ahh...well, anyway, I gotta get going to the council meeting...Ja ne!" With that, Kakashi sped out of the ramen stand, fearful of the supposed innocent waitress. 'Gah, did Ibiki teach her or something? I haven't seen a civilian be that scary...ever!' Kakashi thought in a panic, but then his face ran paler than a ghost. 'Oh God...what if he teaches that Haruno woman? She is already scary enough with that screeching voice that makes my ears bleed...'

With that thought, Kakashi gave a small chuckle, leaping through the rooftops of Konoha. Hopefully, this wouldn't take up most of the night, because he still needed to get back to Naru...lest he break his promise!

* * *

At the Council Chambers...

Within the chambers, several voices at once were sounding out, echoing against the wooden walls. The council chamber itself was actually a room set up in a style similar to a western courtroom. At the back of the room, there were three podium-like stands, behind each was a stone chair, complete with a cushion in the middle of it's seat. The middle was raised the highest, and held the kanji for 'Hokage' on it, thus making it obvious whose seat it was. The two on either side of the Hokage's seat, were for the Hokage's two advisors. The advisors were currently a pair of elder people whom had served with Hiruzen during his genin days, making up Tobirama Hashirama's squad. Their names were Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.

At the front of the room, there were several benches set up in a church style, leaving the middle as a walkway. These were meant for any non-serving shinobi whom were involved in a meeting to have a place to sit, along with the ANBU whom were set as peace-keepers, in case there was an outbreak of violence. This had only happened a few times, more than often caused by Councilwoman Haruno, whom tried to hit several of her fellow civilians several times, and had once tried to hit Uzumaki Naru when she was present in a meeting. However, because ANBU had stopped her, the most she had to do was pay a fine. Not to mention, Hiruzen couldn't send her to prison in good conscious, because the woman had a young daughter at home, and was a widow.

Both the left, and right sides were set up the same. A long oak desk, with chairs facing the opposite side of the room. However, there was a difference between the two sides. The left was for the Shinobi, whom were clan heads, or major contributors to the village. Their clan's markings were over their chair, so the Inuzuka had their markings placed on their head's chair, the Uchiha had their fan placed on their head's chair, and so on. The right was for civilians, and was heavily unorganized. For whatever reason, they all switched seats daily...it was like an 'early bird gets the worm' decision.

With the current meeting, though, several people were now covering their ears for Councilwoman Haruno had screeched another sentence.

"WHERE IS THAT USELESS HATAKE? I TOLD HIM TO BE HERE FIVE MINUTES AGO! HIS LAZY ASS SHOULD DO WELL NOT TO DISGRACE THE HATAKE NAME MORE AFTER HIS FATHER DID WITH THAT MISSION!" Haruno Sairen yelled, making everyone wonder how she was not mute from all of the damage on her vocal cords.

"Councilwoman Haruno, I would like to remind you that you should not speak of matters that you have absolutely NO comprehension in." Shimura Danzou, the fourth Elder, spat. He sat on the Shinobi's side, in the chair closest to the Trio's podium. While he was known for his belief in how the mission comes first, he also believed that civilians should not have any place in a shinobi society, and thus, took every chance he got to piss off the civilian side.

"WHAT? HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING? OF COURSE I HAVE COMPREHENSION IN THAT MATTER! IT WAS ALL MY FRIENDS GOSSIPED ABOUT THAT ENTIRE WEEK! NOT TO MENTION MY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL, SAKURA, IS GOING TO BE A SHINOBI SO SHE CAN GET HER TRUE LOVE!" The 'decent woman' countered, rage filling her eyes at Danzou's accusation. It should be noted that Danzou did not give a flying fuck, and gave the woman the bird under the table. This was something that Uchiha Fugaku, whom had sat next to him, had caught, giving a snort at the man's antics. Seriousness be damned, nobody liked Sairen.

"Ah...you have friends?" The ever blunt Hyuuga Hiashi questioned, his eyebrow raising in surprise. His long brown hair shook along with his head, as his pale eyes closed in confusion. "I'm honestly surprised..." He muttered, something that sent Inuzuka Tsume into hysterics. The feral woman had rested her head on her arm, the beginning of tears forming in her black eyes as she laughed. Her wild, spiked brown hair was soon one with the desk, as she laid her head down to try to hide her laughing.

"GAH. JUST BE QUIET YOU B-" All noise immediately stopped as the Hokage coughed into his hand. Hiruzen sent an annoyed glance at all of the people within the room, leaking a bit of killer intent.

"Now that the commotion has stopped, I believe it is time to do some attendance, seeing as Kakashi has just entered," It was true, Kakashi had entered during aforementioned commotion, and had proceeded to plop down on the front bench, sitting near the ANBU from before. "Shall we begin?"

"Aburame, Shibi?"

"I am present, Hokage-sama." A man with spiked, light black hair spoke, his sunglasses covering his

"Akimichi, Chouza?"

"Here, Hokage-sama!" A portly man with long, spiked red hair bellowed, a grin on his face. Upon his cheecks there were two swirls, and his eyes were closed.

"Aisuru, Junjo?" Junjo was a serious looking young woman. She had short-cropped brown hair, and wore glasses over her amethyst eyes. She was made the head director of the hospital, after Yakushi Nono's mysterious disappearance.

"Here, Hokage-sama."

"Haruno, Sairen?"

"HERE, HOKAGE!" Everyone in the room cringed at that.

"Hyuuga, Hiashi?"

"Here."

"Inuzuka, Tsume?"

"Here, Hokage-jiji!" This caused a sweatdrop at the informality, but Hiruzen continued anyway.

"Nara, Shikaku? Shikaku? Oh for Kami's sake, somebody wake him up..." With that, Yamanaka Inoichi shook his friend awake. Inoichi had long blond hair tied in a ponytail. He usually held a stern expression on his face, his blue eyes firm. Shikaku had black 'pineapple-style' hair, and matching black eyes. However, he was sleeping, as usual. The Nara clan, while smart, was also renown for their laziness.

"Shimura, Danzou?"

"Hello to you too, Hiruzen."

"...alright then. Uchiha, Fugaku?

"Here, Hokage-san."

"Yamanaka, Inoichi?"

"Here, sir." (A/N: There are more civilians, but I honestly only included the civilians that are going to actually be important later. Except that Haruno woman. She is just comic relief.)

"Well, now that roll call is done, what are the topics being brought forward by this meeting?" Hiruzen ended, casting a short, angry gaze at the civilian side. All of them, aside from Junjo, were those that hate Naru. Even then, Junjo was neutral at best.

As soon as the Hokage finished his sentence, the civilians burst out into commotion again. Cries of 'demon did this', or 'whore did that', were proclaimed into the air as the shinobi side all seemed to sigh in fury. They didn't really care about the constant topic of Uzumaki Naru. In fact, most of the shinobi seemed to like the little girl, even Danzou, whom had originally wanted her as a weapon. Apparently after being rejected during all of the times he asked, he seemed to submit.

"Well, Hiruzen-kun...the matter of two civilians being attacked by ANBU for no reason was brought to our attention. In fact, I do believe you have one of the men tied up a few rooms down?" Koharu began, but was forced to finish the beginning of her rant, as a massive killer intent rained down upon her.

"NO REASON?" Kakashi had shouted, standing up from the bench he was sitting on. "NO REASON, HUH? I'M SURE YOU'D LIKE TO TELL THAT TO UZUMAKI NARU, WHOM WAS ALMOST MURDERED BY THOSE WORTHLESS SACKS OF SHIT?" The killer intent was now focused solely on the civilians, whom had began muttering under their breaths. "AND YOU WASTES OF SPACE WOULD HAVE HAILED THE MAN AS A HERO HAD HE SUCCEEDED." The fury of the copy nin was escalating at a fast pace, to the point where his sharingan had been revealed as he pulled up his headband.

"Kakashi-kun." Hiruzen's kind voice sounded throughout the room, calming the ANBU captain down by bringing him back to reality. "You need to get a better hold of your emotions. While I too, believe that Koharu is a liar..." The woman's look of shock almost made him laugh, "You need to set an example. You are ANBU after all."

Kakashi merely bowed his head, a disappointed look upon his face, before sitting back down upon the bench. As he did so, his fellow ANBU had gave him some support, not wanting to see their captain in such a state. Coughing into his hand, Homura seemed to bring attention back to the meeting.

"As Koharu-chan was saying, two civilians were injured today. In fact, one of them was pronounced deceased as he was brought into the hospital. As such, we would like to have testimony from the survivor of this tragic incident. ANBU, please fetch Shigure Hiiro-san. He is in the holding cell two rooms down, currently being guarded by ANBU Neko, and Captains of the T&I, Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko." As he stated the last name, more muttering began, the faint whisper of "Traitorous whore" being audible. Strangely, Sairen was silent. Yet, she had a deceitful grin upon her face, thinking about what would be happening once poor little Naru headed home...

* * *

Outside Ichiraku Ramen...

Naru had finished her meal with a thankful belch, a smile gracing her face as she did so. This was the first time today she had eaten, so she was very hungry. Yet now, her stomach was content, and she could go about the rest of her day. As she exited the stand, she gave a kind wave towards the vendors. Ayame returned the wave with as much cheerfulness as she could give, causing Teuchi to smile. What the two didn't notice, was the group of civilians that were waiting a few shops away, staring intently at the blond girl as she skipped off down the street, ignoring the glares she got.

Unfortunately for the five year old girl walking down the road, fate was not on her side. The civilians whom were glancing at her from across the street, had now taken to following her around, ushering more people to silently follow them, yet stay far enough away so that she wouldn't get suspicious if she looked back. By now, Teuchi was getting suspicious as he glanced outside after seeing the growing crowd. Feeling a pang of fear in his gut, he was about to turn to see the Hokage, when he heard a shriek coming from within the back room. Rushing back into the shop, he saw a few chuunin whom had captured Ayame. The twelve year old girl tried struggling against the one that held her, only to receive a chop to the back of her neck.

Teuchi was about to bring out a few kunai he had hidden within his pouch for emergencies like this, but a jounin had moved into the shop, bringing his own kunai, and holding it towards Teuchi's neck. The chuunin just smirked, as they brought forward Ayame, laying her down on a table.

"Now now, Ichiraku Teuchi...you shouldn't struggle so much. You might just find yourself dead in a ditch if you don't hear us out..." The jounin whispered, but Teuchi kept his resolve strong, and slammed an elbow into the jounin's gut. As the man recoiled from the attack, he was surprised to see a chuunin holding his katana towards Ayame's neck. The jounin just gave a predatory grin, licking his lips at Ayame as he walked back up to Teuchi, keeping a fair distance away from him, "As I was saying...it would certainly be bad if you didn't hear us out...but since you wanted to struggle, you'll have to be punished..."

In a short burst of speed, the jounin had rushed up to Teuchi, taking his right arm in his left hand. Grasping Teuchi's shoulder with his right hand, the jounin hooked his leg under Teuchi's ankle, bringing Teuchi into a kneeling stance. As Teuchi gave a grunt of pain, he stared up at Ayame's unconscious form, trying to preserve his strength. He needed to save his daughter...

Though that thought was quickly erased from his mind, as pain flooded his system. The reason? The jounin had brought Teuchi's arm, still within his grasp, and was twisting it. Teuchi let out a choked gasp as he tried to hold in his cry of pain. He wouldn't let them see him in a vulnerable position. Suddenly the pain stopped for the moment, as the man had stopped twisting the arm. The chuunin just laughed at the ramen vendor's face, while the jounin merely gave a grunt of amusement.

"Now then, Teuchi...let us try again. You will obey our orders if you want your pretty little daughter to survive...so we're going to give you two options. The first option: You refuse us, we kill you along with this bitch, and we burn your stand down. The second option: You leave town, so that the Kyuubi whore can wallow in the misery she deserves." The jounin explained, a malicious grin coming upon his face as he let out a chuckle.

Teuchi just sat there, a look of sorrow overcoming his face. Either way, Naru was going to get hurt...but only one option let him keep his daughter. Closing his eyes in recognition, he let a lone tear roll down his face. 'I'm sorry, Naru...but my family is in danger...As much as I love you, I can't let Ayame go...'

With that, Teuchi schooled his expression into a stone cold mask. He stared up at the men whom had forcibly changed his life, the men whom had ripped almost everything he loved away from him. As he stared at each of them, he memorized their faces, their eyes, their voices...everything. He would come back one day, and he would get revenge.

"Fine...I will leave town with my daughter...thought it is quite saddening..." Teuchi started, closing his eyes as he shook his head in distaste. The shinobi just glanced at him, a puzzled look on their face as they muttered about what the 'crazy old man' had meant. The jounin just stared at Teuchi, before smirking.

"Oh? What is saddening? The fact that believing in the demon slut got you punished, just like everyone said?" The jounin inquired, knowing he would be right as he awaited the answer. To his surprise, Teuchi just shook his head again, this time with his own smirk on his face.

"No...the fact that the protectors of the village are the very people whom are selling the village to the devil." Teuchi spoke, but the jounin just snorted in response. Pushing him to the ground, the jounin kicked him in the stomach, before dragging the bodies of the Ichiraku family in the back. It wouldn't do well for anyone to find this mess, after all.

* * *

With Naru...

The young girl had dropped her smile a few meters back. Instead of a bounce being in her step, she was moving slowly, as if she was trying to avoid detection. Which she was. This time was the time that the bars began closing down, and those inside were released upon the streets. Most of them in their inebriated state, had fancied themselves 'professional demon hunters'. As such, they took great pride in trying to attack Naru at any occasion they could.

It was just Naru's luck that she had stumbled through the red light district on her way home. While most of the civilians that drank, and got their various pleasure fulfilled in this zone, some did not actually hate her here. In fact, some of the strippers, bartenders, and waitresses helped Naru, mainly because they were retired kunoichi whom were employing their profession to make a living. After all, kunoichi were the best at using sex appeal to gather information, or resources. It used to be standard practice within the academy until the council banned it, seeing as civilian born kunoichi were usually loud and bitchy, the complete opposite of what a true kunoichi was supposed to be.

As stated before, fate was not with Naru on this night. As such, any of his usual protectors were not in sight, as she tried to maneuver her way through the streets without being detected by the drunks that had started to exit the bars. Unfortunately, that would not be a possibility for the poor girl, as the crowd that had gathered to follow her before decided to make itself known.

One of the civilians within the crowd decided to speak up, gathering the attention of the crowd. "HEY, YOU DRUNKS! TO CELEBRATE THE WONDROUS DRINKS YOU HAVE JUST FINISHED CONSUMING, HOW ABOUT A DEMON HUUNNNTTT?" The proclamation immediately put Naru on edge, and she made a move to rush away from the area before being detected. This was all for nothing, though, as a man so generously pointed at her, and screamed her position.

Naru let tears of fear stream down her face, as she immediately took off from her position. 'Things like this always ends up badly...why can't Inu-san help? He said he'd be back...but where is he?' Naru thought desperately, glancing around as she ran down the street. Instead of the meager crowd that was following her, she now head an entire mob forming, all converging on her location. She saw more people at the end of the street she was running towards, creating a wall so that the girl couldn't escape.

Giving a mental swear, Naru quickly turned on heel, and darted down an alleyway. Because of her experience in running, she knew she would be able to run away from the civilians, but she'd be in bad shape if a shinobi were to-

Ah. Shit.

A flicker of movement darted before Naru, and it was revealed to be the chuunin instructor for the academy, Touji Mizuki. Naru had heard of the man, and his various misdeeds, but was too young to understand most of them. As such, the only thing she thought about when Mizuki got a hold of her, was the physical pain he was going to cause her.

Unfortunately, the world is not that kind.

"Feh, and they said you're all that...I thought you'd put up more of a chase than that, demon slut." Mizuki growled out, narrowing his eyes in distaste. He then proceeded to sigh, before using the shunshin to get them away from the alleys. Instead, they were now surrounded only by the trees, as the winds howled through the skies. Mizuki threw Naru on the ground, causing the small girl to cry out in pain.

"W-w-why would y-you do th-this...?" Naru rasped, pain evident within her voice. She had tears welling up in her eyes, making them moist, as the pain spasmed in her nervous system. She was only five, after all, and her body wasn't strong. Such a thing made it easy for Mizuki, whom had chuunin-level strength, to inflict a good amount of damage on the girl with a single attack.

"Why? Do you really want to know why?" Mizuki whispered, leaning in. He wanted to see the girl's face when he revealed the secret, consequences be damned. Naru just seemed to lay there, not making a noise in fear that she would be attacked again. Mizuki just give a scowl, infuriated by the girl's insolence. He would not be ignored by this demon! Mizuki let out an enraged cry, before kicking the girl in the stomach, causing her to roll over. As she did so, Mizuki picked her up by the throat, his rough fingers clenching around the girl's narrow neck.

"S-Sto-sto-" Naru tried breathing out, but couldn't find the energy to complete the word. The pain in her system was just too much for her body, and she slowly began to pass out. Mizuki looked at her, before giving a smile. Adding more pressure to the girl's neck, he leaned in, close enough so that the girl could hear him.

"I did all this...because you're the Kyuubi reincarnated...you're nothing more than a demon hiding in the flesh...that is why they all hate you. That is why you have to die. Although, you don't have to worry about it...want to know why?" Mizuki grinned, before continuing. "Because I love you, dear Naru-chan...that is why you have to die. Love drives people insane...it makes them want what they can't have...and for a little girl like you to have such untaped power in you...it makes me go crazy with lust." With that, he leaned in, biting down into the girl's neck. He made sure to make it more painful than usual, leaving his mark on the girl. "You would've made a good slave later on...but other people wanted to show their love to you too...like the ANBU...the Ichiraku family...the Hokage..."

Naru widened her eyes, startled by the proclamation. So much information was being crammed into her brain at once. She was the Kyuubi? She was the thing that nearly leveled the village five years ago? Impossible...she couldn't be the Kyuubi! And what did this insane guy say? The person that was killing her...loved her? 'Is this what love is? Pain? An endless spiral of beatings? This entire time...I've wanted the village to love me...to accept me like everyone else...were they doing that the entire time?' Naru contemplated, tears slipping from her eyes. 'No...that was hatred...yet I was so nice...perhaps I should have hated them back...' With that, Naru's eyes began to close, the pain in her system.

"Sorry it had to come to this, Naru...but...I'm very possessive. Hopefully, you understand. I love you, dear Naru-chan..." Mizuki spoke, watching as the light finally left the girl's eyes. Releasing his grip, Mizuki let out a sinister laugh, watching as the limp body now slid to the floor. He finally did it. He killed that bitch, and made her suffer both mentally and physically as she died. "Heh...burn in Hell, you filthy demon spawn. Nobody will miss you up here..." As he said that, Mizuki left, whistling a jovial tune as he made his way to the edge of the clearing.

* * *

Well, I'm not dead...don't hate me too much!

Anyway, I really wanted to rewrite this for awhile. As you can see, I made some major changes to the plot...and yes, Danzou is going to be on Naru's side. The pairing is undecided as of now, but do understand that I will probably not be pairing Naruto with a woman. If I do, it will most likely be with either Tenten, Anko, or Temari. Though, I also don't want to jump on pairing her with Madara either. Maybe I'll pair her with Kurama...-evil laugh-

Anyway, ta ta dearies, see ya in the next chapter~

-Yatero.


	2. The Aftermath of Her Death

**Oh dear, I was waiting to get to this part. I hope you're all excited as I am...**

Or not. Just going to cry over here. Also, I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto made that clear when I sent him my pairing suggestions.

Warning: The Konoha Council (specifically the civilian and elder sides), Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Ino, Neji, and a majority of Konoha's civilians will be bashed throughout the story. Naruto IS a female in this revision, and will be referred to as 'Naru'.

I have also decided that while the story will follow what I had in mind for 'The Return of the Crimson Eyed God', Madara will not play as big of a roll as he originally would have. I changed the pairing too, so that should be a fun little surprise.

I was honestly planning to get this chapter out at least a few weeks ago ago, but we lost internet for a bit, so I haven't been able to update. To all of those whom have waited so patiently, thank you, and I hope this makes up for it.

* * *

**Arc: Introduction Arc**  
**Chapter 1: The Aftermath of Her Death**

It would be three hours after Mizuki murdered Naru, leaving her corpse on the floor.

Three hours before anyone was sent searching for her, leaving a frantic council chamber.

Three hours before anyone had found the poor young girl's body sprawled out in a clearing.

Three hours before the Hokage was reported to, and he sealed himself up in his office for the night, the nearly-silent sound of crying being heard.

The one that had found Naru's body was a ten year old boy by the name of Uchiha Itachi. He was one of the few in the Uchiha Clan that expressed emotions outside of the clan home, often showing extraordinary kindness to everyone he had met. He was a chuunin, something quite remarkable for his age, and there were even talks of him rising to jounin soon. He had ebony hair, with a slight amethyst tint coloring his already dark hair. His bangs were fringed so that they framed himself, and the back was put into a loose ponytail, which reached a bit past his shoulders. His eyes were a darkened gray color, yet still reflected the warmth that the boy had shown so much. He was also one of the few to go into mobs and protect Naru, but often did it under a henge. After all, it wouldn't do well for the Uchiha clan if their heir was discovered severly injuring civilians for whatever reason.

"Oh my God...no...not Naru...not nee-chan..." Itachi began muttering, as he knelt near the fallen girl's body, scooping her up into his arms. As he stood at full height, he softly hugged the body to his chest, his tears beginning to slip out from the corners of his eyes. He had already had enough death in his short life time, thanks to the war he was born into, but now, to be holding the victim of something his fellow villagers did...it made him sick to his stomach. Itachi slowly willed his tears away, knowing it wouldn't be good for him to be seen as such. He as the heir to the Uchiha...he had to be strong for them, and for Naru.

Luckily, Itachi didn't have to walk far, because a shinobi had jumped into the clearing, his own eyes downcast in sorrow. This shinobi was Maito Gai, the 'Youthful Green Beast of Konoha'. He was sporting a bowl-cut, and he had kind black eyes. His eyebrows were something of interest as well, because they were large, almost like caterpillars. He had a green jumpsuit on, and wore the traditional jounin flak jacket. His forehead protector was wrapped around his waist, having been converted into a belt.

"Itachi-kun...I'm sorry you had to see this..." Gai began, only for Itachi to calmly hold up his hand to politely stop the man.

"It's alright, Gai-sempai...It's best that I found her before any of the bigot shinobi did. She didn't deserve this...it just isn't fair." Itachi whispered, and Gai walked over to him. As he did so, he carefully took the body from Itachi's arms, letting the Uchiha lash out on a nearby tree.

As Itachi vented his frustration, Gai just watched with his own sorrow-filled gaze, knowing that stopping the heir would not be helpful for when they returned to the village...they had to bring it to Hiruzen, and the bastard civilian council. Suddenly, Itachi stopped, dropping to the floor as he held his hands up to his face, covering his outburst of tears. After calming himself down, Itachi slowly returned to Gai's side, sniffling a bit.

"Itachi-kun, will you be okay to travel into the village with me? You know what they'll be saying..." Gai questioned, and Itachi nodded. Getting that confirmation, Gai began walking ahead, trying to keep his own emotions in check.

As they did enter through the main roads of the village, it was just as Gai had expected. Many civilians had began giving cries of cheer, running down the streets, and going into their houses, most likely to inform others that the 'demon' was dead, and they could all be free. The bolder ones had began shouting praises for the two men, along with many calls of appreciation. Something that was even more disgusting, was the amount of shinobi that began joining in, as they came across the scene.

Soon enough, the entire street was filled with dancing civilians, many of them singing horribly-thrown together songs that were meant as an insult to the Kyuubi. Some even had the audacity to light off fireworks in the middle of the street, which caused Itachi to hope for them to blow up in the civilians' faces. As they began nearing the Administrative Building, a few civilians, already drunk, had made their way up to the pair, asking them multiple questions. Some of the various things they asked were things like 'What was it like to see the little bitch die?', and 'What did you do to kill her? We might need to take care of another demon if one shows up again...'.

Luckily for the civilians, a full squad of ANBU was dispatched once the noise had gotten too loud, and they had arrived just in time. As they dropped down from the buildings, they were met with quite the unusual scene. Four civilians were laying on the ground, groaning in pain, as Gai stood over them. Itachi was crouched near the Jounin, a few shuriken in each hand, as his Sharingan blazed in the night. Before they could get any further in injuring the annoyances, one of the ANBU had reminded Gai of what needed to be done, and he returned to a calm state, his eyes closed.

The matter all started when Hiruzen had ordered the search once Hiiro had leaked the information. It was quite the lengthy ordeal, due to the civilians. Once they had brought in Hiiro, cries of praise had erupted fromt he civilian council's side, sans for Junjo, as they called the man a hero for what he had done. Many of the clan heads had looked towards them with shock, and they had to hold Kakashi back, whom had tried to bolt out of his seat with a kunai. The rest had gone like this...

"Hokage-sama, might I ask just WHY THE SNAKE BITCH IS HERE? SHE COULD BE A SPY FOR OROCHIMARU, WE MUST EXECUTE HER NOW, FOR SHE HAS FOUND OUT MEETING PLACE!" Sairen screeched loudly, only for a kunai to lodge itself in the wall behind her. Anko just stood there beside Ibiki, whistling innocently. "SEE? SHE JUST TRIED TO KILL ME. IF IT WASN'T FOR MY AMAZING SKILL AT DODGING, I'D BE DEAD!" Honestly, Anko just wanted to tear the loud bitch up with a sickle, and she was about to do so, before Danzou spoke up.

"If you would have paid attention, you whiny little skank, you would have noticed Hiruzen say she was coming." With that, Sairen stood up, and began screaming at Danzou, whom had casually started a conversation with Fugaku so that he could ignore the banshee in the room. Seeing that Danzou was no longer paying attention, she tried to begin a rant about how Anko was a traitor, only for the snake mistress to launch another kunai.

"SEE HOKAGE-SAMA, SHE TRIED IT AGAIN!" Sairen cried, willing tears into her eyes to try to make it look convincing.

"Hey bitch, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Those were warning shots, but apparently you're too much of a dumb-ass to realize that." Anko spoke, a mixture of boredom and hate appearing on her face, as she regarded the pink haired monkey. This led to even more arguments, and the other members of the civilian council tried to lash at Anko too, but it had little to no effect. In fact, Anko managed to gain the upper hand by mentioning that she was the one that went out and defended Konoha, while they, as Anko said, "sat on their lazy fat asses and counted their money". This escalated the yelling even further, and Hiruzen simply sighed, and nodded at Ibiki.

Ibiki had marched up to Hiiro, the man shaking slightly as Ibiki leaned in close, as if inspecting him. Feeling the interrogator's impatience, Hiiro had to force himself not to cry. That would only make things worse for him, and he didn't want to be further on the wrong side of Ibiki any more than he already was. Suddenly standing up, Ibiki had a twitch in his eye, as he was starting to get annoyed by the civilians' antics. Turning towards their side, where they were STILL trying to get under Anko's skin, he released a large amount of killer intent, narrowing his eyes at the supposed 'higher power' of the village.

"I swear to Kami, if you arrogant mother fuckers do NOT quiet down, I will nail you to a fucking cart, and parade you around the damn village, for obstructing justice. Do we have ourselves clear, you horse shit eating fetus fuckers?" With that said, Ibiki turned back around. The civilians wisely chose the option to be quiet, because all of them knew that Ibiki would go through with his threat, and the Hokage would not stop him. If anything, the Hokage would be on the cart, asking them about whom should replace them. Junjo was still excluded from this little ordeal, and had actually taken to glaring harshly at her fellow civilians.

Ibiki had brought out a stray kunai, glancing at Hiiro, before turning his attention towards the cold metal before him. 'Damn...as much as I want to brutally cut this shitstain up, he is still counted as a civilian, and as such, I cannot use lethal force...' Ibiki thought darkly, before leaning in forward, yet keeping his distance from Hiiro.

"Alright...now, would you like to tell me why you attacked Uzumaki Naru earlier in the day?" Ibiki asked, his stern voice laced with a promise of pain if he were to began spouting lies. Unfortunately, for Hiiro, he just didn't catch that tone, and had given the interrogator a smile.

"Of course! You see, she had decided she wanted to attack m-" He never got to finish, because Ibiki had punched him in the stomach, landing a solid blow on the civilian. The tied up man could only hang his head low, gasping for the breath that had exited his system from the impact. As he began breathing again, he coughed up a bit of spit, landing it on the floor near Ibiki's shoes.

"Now then...shall we try this again? Why did you attack Uzumaki Naru?" Ibiki repeated, this time adding a bit of killer intent along with it. Hiiro had audibly gulped, and was now shaking a bit, as he felt a feeling of helplessness.

"S-she...I...I a-attacked h-her for n-n-no...re-reason.." He barely stuttered out, before Ibiki launched his foot forward, kicking the man in the chin, and sending the chair backwards. As Hiiro gasped in shock, he soon found himself in a painful situation. Ibiki had moved towards his side, and placed a single heel on Hiiro's chest, stomping hard on his ribcage.

"No more bullshit. If you lie again, I will kill you. Then do you know what we'll do? We're going to invade your mind, and find all of your friends, and kill them too. Do you want their deaths on your head?" Ibiki questioned, and motioned for Anko to bring him what looked like a drill.

"NO! IT WAS A PLANNED ATTACK. ME, AND A FEW DRINKING BUDDIES, DECIDED WE WANTED TO KILL THAT LITTLE BITCH! SHE'S BROUGHT NOTHING BUT PAIN TO US, EVEN AFTER THESE FIVE YEARS!" Hiiro screamed, for Ibiki had began twisting his heel into the man's sternum.

"Alright, now let's hear some more...what did this little plan entail?" Ibiki questioned, using the kunai he had brought out earlier to further intimidate the man. Hiiro just cried a bit, before answering. He had tried to stall, but the painful reminder had jolted him, showing Hiiro that he would not be allowed to hesitate.

"The first attack was only the beginning! The rest was supposed to go on tonight..."

As soon as Hiruzen heard that, the pipe had dropped from his mouth, his eyes wide. It had all been a carefully planned trap from the start, so that Naru's normal protectors wouldn't get there in time? As soon as he heard Hiiro's statement, the aged Hokage had quickly stood up, before turning his attention towards one of the ANBU in back.

"OX! NOTIFY ALL AVAILABLE SHINOBI THAT THEY ARE TO FIND UZUMAKI NARU, AND BRING HER HERE UNHARMED! As for you, Hiiro...you're going to be put into prison for life...right after Ibiki has his way with you, no holding back. We're going to know all of your little sins by the time we're done with you..." Hiruzen spat, trying to keep his own fear under control. He only could pray that nothing happened to Naru...

And that brings us to the current events...

Outside the room, the spouses of the council members were waiting in boredom. They were aware that it was going to be like every other council meeting, or so they thought. The normality was shattered by the arrival of Itachi, followed by Gai, whom was holding a blanket wrapped figure. He had done so, so that the civilians would not notice the girl inside the bundle, and insult the little girl's memory even more.

Uchiha Mikoto, Itachi's mother, had ran up to go greet her son before anyone else could even question their appearance. The only thing the people outside the council chambers knew, was that there was a summons for every available shinobi to search for Uzumaki Naru. As Mikoto grabbed onto her son with relief that he was okay, and hadn't gotten hurt in 'the commotion', that feeling was quickly gone. She saw Gai walk past her, and with a single glimpse, Mikoto saw whom was wrapped in the blanket.

Shock seemed to fill the Uchiha matriarch, as she glanced away, sorrow beginning to work it's way into her system. The person that Gai had been holding...was the daughter of her late best friend, Uzumaki Kushina. Now...she was gone too. Mikoto reflected on the girl's face...the normally blue eyes open wide in shock, the blond bangs sullied with dirt, and her mouth open ajar, as if silently screaming. Then, Mikoto remembered a teenage Kushina, whom 'couldn't wait to have kids' when she was older. Mikoto had always thought Kushina would be a good mother, albeit a bit over protective. Mikoto even remembered Kushina wanting a girl, stating that 'boys would be too boring to teach, with their short attention span'. Mikoto had giggled at this, but now, she was weeping at the thought.

Kushina had even confided in her that she wanted to rebuild Uzushiogakure, and wanted a daughter because the ruins needed a 'woman's touch' to brighten things up. Though the dream had temporarily died with Kushina, and Mikoto wanted to do everything to help Naru, but with this...the dream had died all together, along with the Uzumaki clan. As Mikoto collapsed onto the floor, a myriad of emotions flowing through her, Itachi could only hold onto the woman with mute shock appearing on his features.

As this happened, Gai had approached the doors to the council, pushing them open with immense force. Hiruzen was about to reprimand Gai for such unnecessary force, until he glanced at the jounin. He nearly fainted when he saw the grim look upon the normally eccentric man's face, and braced for the worst. Hopefully, Naru would be okay...

'Wait...what is that Gai is holding?' Hiruzen wondered to himself, staring intently at the covered object in Gai's arms, before voicing his thoughts, his voice controlled as much as it could be. Although, the shinobi could still hear the slight fear in the elderly leader's voice. "Gai-kun...what is that thing you are holding?" As that question hit Gai, Hiruzen nearly had heart failure as the man looked down, a look of shame on his face.

"Gai? What is it, Gai?" Kakashi asked, standing up to confront his rival, only to freeze upon seeing the figure in the bundle. "Oh Kami...please tell me this is a joke..." Now, the man had everyone's attention, the council staring intently at the pair at the front of the room.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi...she was dead when Itachi-kun got there..." Gai muttered, but everyone could hear it. Kakashi could only accept the bundle, for Gai had held it out towards him. Kakashi just seemed to craddle the figure a bit, his one visible eye moist with fresh tears. The other ANBU could only watch as their former captain slowly, but surely, began to break down.

'Sensei...I've failed you, again. First Obito...then Rin...then you, and Kushina-sama...now, Naru too?' Kakashi thought, trying his best to school his emotions, but failed horribly. Kakashi then proceeded to turn towards the council, more specifically Hiruzen, and called out the news, albeit in a shaky tone.

"Hokage-sama...I'm sorry...but she's gone." With that said, Hiruzen immediately cupped his face with his hands, shuddering a bit as he tried to hold back the tears that so desperately wanted to get out. His granddaughter...had been slain by the very village she wanted to protect, and had unknowingly protected since the day of her birth.

However, a wave of disgust hit every single shinobi in the room, as the civilian council burst out with cheers. Junjo excluded, for she had immediately gotten up out of her seat, and punched the man closest to her. The civilians would have kept celebrating the death of the 'demon', but the combined killer intent of all of the clan heads, the ANBU, Danzou, Kakashi, Gai, Ibiki, Anko, and the Hokage himself quickly put them all to a complete stop, seeing as a few of them has passed out. It was then, that Hiruzen noticed the small smiles gracing the face of the elders on either side of him, and was immediately sent into a small rage.

"ANBU! I WANT YOU TO BRING ALL OF THE CIVILIAN COUNCIL, EXCLUDING JUNJO-SAN, AND TAKE THEM TO THE ANBU HOLDING CELLS! IT IS CLEAR THEY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!" Hiruzen bellowed, the order ringing throughout the room. As the ANBU went to fulfill the command, Hiruzen turned on his two advisors, leveling a glare at them. "As for you two...if I find out you two had ANYTHING to do with this, I will splatter your brains all over these council walls. I could easily kill both of you right now for your treason in the past, going behind my back as much as you did, but I kept you around on the Damiyou's orders. Though I can easily find a loophole in that, so you two had better PRAY to your God..." Hiruzen whispered, hatred within his voice. As he stepped down from his podium, he was met with Danzou's smirk.

"Welcome back, my old rival." Danzou said, gazing intently into the Hokage's eye.

"It is glad to be back. Now then, I want you to bring Naru's body to the hospital. We will perform an autopsy, and find out just how she died." With that, Hiruzen walked out of the room, heading towards his office. He was going to need some sake to get over this night...

* * *

Outside of Konoha...

Mizuki was still whistling, as he reflected back onto the week that had just flashed by. Everything had gone so smoothly for the chuunin, he was beginning to wonder if he had the Hyuuga's supposed divine connection to fate. Strolling through the forest, he let his silvery hair fling about, as the bounce in his step increased. He was actually surprised that he felt this happy, but as he reflected upon recent events, he just couldn't help but grin.

First off, he had passed the Chuunin Instructor Exam, which was the standard test for Chuunin that wished to teach at the Academy. It was Mizuki's second time trying to get the Academy Instructor rank, seeing as he was denied the first time. This was because of an event on a mission preceding the test, where his teammate 'mysteriously died', and he was a prime suspect. As such, Umino Iruka was given the rank, even though Mizuki felt he didn't deserve it.

Second, he had received a special tattoo from his master, Orochimaru, which gave him instructions to brew a potion. Said potion would skyrocket the Chuunins abilities, or so he had been told. The only downside was that the ingredients would take a long time to find, and even longer to create the perfect mold for it. Mizuki cared not, though, for it granted him power. Power he wanted to be the at the top of the mountain, far past those that Mizuki was overlooked for.

And the third, and final reason, was that he had killed the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Uzumaki Naru. He had strangled the girl to death, and had tried to break her mentally while she was dying. That was a major bonus in Mizuki's book. He knew that Orochimaru-sama would be pleased as well, because he wished to throw a wrench into Akatsuki's plans, which Orochimaru didn't agree with, even though he was a member. He would be heralded as a God in Konoha, for getting rid of the damnable bitch that held the Kyuubi.

Or so he thought.

As he started down the long narrow path in the forest that led to his lover Tsubaki's house, he felt a sudden change in the night air. Shaking off the feeling as just wildlife in the woods, Mizuki continued onwards, not paying attention to his surroundings. If he did, he would have seen a single glowing eye watching him from a distance, a murderous glint in the person's single visible eye.

Mizuki had assumed a quicker pace after he heard the noise, however, and gave a relieved smile to himself, when he saw Tsubaki's home within his view. Glancing at the cottage, Mizuki let out a breath he did not know he was holding, and continued on. He was about to enter the clearing his lover's house sat upon, when a rustle in the bushes startled him. Feeling the unease slip into his system, Mizuki turned around, kunai in hand, scanning through the dark forest with a sharp gaze.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" As Mizuki tried focusing his sight to see if there was anything out of place, he thought he saw a glowing red orb in the far distance, but as he blinked, it was gone. Shrugging it off, and not finding a thing out of the ordinary, Mizuki continued towards the house, the satisfactory grin now stretched upon his face yet again. As he got close to the door, he was about to knock, but then heard some rustling sounds. Pressing his ear towards the door, he could only let his eyes widen in shock, as he heard his lover speak out in a breathy moan;

"A-ah! Iruka-kun, f-faster..." Was all he bothered to make out, as he removed his head from the door. Feeling anger boil up within his system, Mizuki stepped away from the door, before launching a kick at the handle. With his adrenaline-fueled attack, it burst the door open, and Mizuki rushed in with a kunai, glancing inside the room with narrowed eyes. He was going to kill them both, for playing him like a fool...

Gazing at the corner where the bed was, he could see the two figures beneath the covers stop moving, and they had turned their heads to gaze upon the furious chuunin. On Tsubaki's face, a look of shock, fear welling up within her eyes. As for Iruka, he met Mizuki's glance full on, and smirked. As Tsubaki began to let tears leak from her eyes, Mizuki could have sworn he saw Iruka mouth 'She will always be mine', a pleased glint in his eyes. Both of the figures were still covered in sweat due to their activities, and there was still a certain scent in the air, that seemed to piss Mizuki off even further.

"WHY, TSUBAKI? WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Mizuki screamed, his voice strained as he tried to control his anger, "JUST HOW LONG? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FUCKING HIM?" With that, Mizuki's own tears began to surface, but did not fall just yet. As the question sounded around the room, Tsubaki merely looked down, closing her eyes, as she held something akin to shame on her features.

"About a few months since we started going out...I know I told you to wait...but Iruka just seemed so lonely, I just had to cheer him up somehow..." Tsubaki muttered, and Mizuki felt something snap in him. Tsubaki had told him to wait until they were legally adults, seeing as they were sixteen bordering on seventeen now. While it was common for ninja to have intercourse at this age, and even earlier ages, Tsubaki requested she kept her family's tradition. Yet, once again, Iruka got special treatment, just because of his parents being killed in the Kyuubi attack.

Mizuki was so sick of Iruka getting treated better by EVERYONE. 'I'm constantly overlooked...like I don't even exist. It's like compared to Iruka, I'm simply a shadow without something to cast it...but no longer...' With that thought running in his head, Mizuki ran up towards the bed, and raised the kunai high above his head. He took this time to study his soon-to-be-victims' expressions. Tsubaki was showing fear? She didn't deserve to. However, on the contrary, Iruka seemed almost...happy? It was too late to contemplate, and Mizuki had bloodlust flowing through him...so he plunged downwards, closing his eyes as he made contact with flesh.

And that is when he felt something change around him.

As Mizuki reopened his eyes, he didn't see the covers strewn about from bodies entangled beneath it. He didn't see various articles of clothing thrown about the floor. Hell, he didn't even see a sweat-covered Iruka. No, instead...

He saw the shocked face of his lover, Tsubaki, whom was laying the bed, bleeding out upon the sheets. The kunai had hit dead center, right into the woman's chest. As Tsubaki glanced upwards, Mizuki could only watch with wide eyes, as she shakily outstretched her hand, her breath becoming more ragged, as her eyes grew dull.

"Why...Mizuki-kun?" Was all she managed to whisper, before her arm went limp, and fell to hang over the side of the bed. Mizuki could only stare in despair. He had just killed the one person in his life, that he found himself truly loving. There had never been any Iruka to whisk her away from him. There had never been any hesitancy in Tsubaki's voice, when she blushed and told him 'I love you'. There was no reason for him to end her life...

Yet he did. As Mizuki fell to his knees, he began shaking violently, feeling his vision distort. Self-loathing began overtaking his sytem, as he cried into the empty room. He didn't even notice a cloaked figure appear behind him, an orange mask with a flame pattern darting across it being the only thing visible. The cloaked figure reached a single arm out, and grasped Mizuki's shoulder, before forcing him to turn around.

"Touji Mizuki, I presume?" The voice definitely belong to a man, yet it wasn't anyone Mizuki could identify. Although, Mizuki could only feel fear, as he glanced into the man's one visible eyehole, showing off a fully matured sharingan. The three tomoes spun madly in the crimson orbs, as the man kneeled down to make himself level with Mizuki.

"Y-yes...I am...who are you?" Mizuki stuttered out, all of his senses telling him to back away from the man at once, but his body just didn't want to respond. Not that the man obviously minded.

"Oh, me? I'm not anything, or anyone. I merely exist...however, if you must call me something...perhaps Tobi will do?" The man, now identified as Tobi, answered the chuunin almost as casually as one would talk about the weather. Shrugging his shoulders, the cloaked figure then took out hold of Mizuki's neck, straightening himself up, as he brought Mizuki off of the air. As the chuunin sputtered, and tried to break Tobi's hold, the masked male rose an eyebrow beneath the mask. "This is quite nostalgic, isn't it, Mizuki-san? I thought it be best to give you the same way of being killed, as the way you killed my plans. Poetic justice, some would call it. Although, I would not know, poets are not that common in this era..." There was a hint of humor in the man's tone, as he tightened his grip.

"S-so you made me d-do this?" Mizuki wheezed out, desperately struggling to break free of the grab. The masked man simply chuckled, before staring at the chuunin.

"Whatever are you talking about? I didn't make you do anything, as fun as that would have been. You killed your precious 'Tsubaki' all by yourself. Good show by the way, unjustified murder is certainly the way to go. After all, Konoha is an avid practitioner of betrayal, seeing as the Senju and Uchiha clans like to turn their backs on the truth, preferring the lie they can love, and as such, the rest of the sheep follow suit." Tobi explained, and although his face was hidden, it was obvious to tell there would be either annoyance, or hatred scrawled across his face.

"W-wait...p-please..." Mizuki gargled, and luckily, the masked man was feeling in a merciful mood at the moment, so taking out his free hand, Mizuki soon found himself with a kunai digging into his jugular. As soon as he the chuunin had gone limp, Tobi threw him threw the window, shattering glass all across the place. However, any of the glass that would have landed on the man, had gone through him, as he traversed the room to grab Tsubaki. Giving her corpse a bored glance, Tobi repeated his actions, letting her body land on Mizuki's, to form an 'x'.

As Tobi walked outside, into the clearing the house sat upon, he was greeted with the sight of a plant-like man leaning over the bodies, a hunger-filled expression on it's face. The creature itself had a venus fly trap cover around it's head, which concealed an actual human looking face, sans for the two clashing skin colors. The right side was a midnight color, while the left was white as snow. There was also the distinct glowing yellow eyes that held anticipation within them. The plant-like man only wore a red-trimmed cloak, with the front opened up a bit. It had red clouds with white outlines stitched into it, making it look like bloody clouds in the night. Tobi simply shook his head at the plant man's antics, before staring at him.

"Zetsu, you shouldn't consume so eagerly. You don't know how filthy these people are..." Tobi spoke, and Zetsu could practically feel the smirk lingering underneath the man's mask. Giving a sigh, the black side of Zetsu had decided to speak first, his eye narrowing as he recalled the mission.

"Tobi-sama, we have yet to locate the body of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. While we were sure of the location, we were deterred by ANBU swarming the location..." The darker half reported, and Tobi sent the cannibalistic creature a curious glance, and the giddy voice of the white side pitched up. "Yeah! We felt a massive burst of the Kyuubi's chakra, and then it completely disappeared! When we found where it came from, there was nothing, zip, nadda!"

Hearing this, Tobi merely scratched his chin, contemplating the circumstance. While the thought, he had unconsciously moved forward, and sat upon the two bodies Zetsu was preparing to feast on, earning him an annoyed glance from the plant-man hybrid. Letting his single visible eye show shock, Tobi immediately stood up, the sound of laughter accompanying his rise.

"That's it! When the Rikudou Sennin had integrated the Juubi into his flesh, he had gained a psuedo form of immortality, from what I remember seeing on that tablet within the Naka Shrine. It was from the Juubi itself, the power to surpass the Gods themselves. When he separated the Juubi into nine different parts, he gave them abilities that were derived from the Juubi..." Tobi began, pacing back and forward in his spot.

"Like what, Tobi-sama?" The darker half inquired, and the white half merely gained a grin, "Yeah, you never do explain things fully..."

"Well, the Ichibi has complete control over sand; The Nibi has control over the infamous 'Blue Fire', along with the rumored 'control of the dead'; The Sanbi has the ability to split itself, and cast deadly genjutsu at will; The Yonbi is able to use lava; The Gobi uses it's massive strength, and to serve as an example, it is about a hundred times stronger than that of Senju Tsunade; The Rokubi uses Bubbels; The Shichibi can harden it's skin to be stronger than even steel, and it can fly; The Hachibi uses Ink-like attacks; And finally, the Kyuubi, being the strongest, and the beast I have the most knowledge on, has several techniques the others don't. Such as creating massive twisters with a flicker of it's tails, a massive blast of fire with a mere thought, and the ability to overpower several of the Bijuu at once. So...would it be out of the question for the Kyuubi to gain a way to free itself from the Shiki Fuuin at the last moment, and appear somewhere else?" Tobi finished, and Zetsu immediately understood what Tobi was trying to get at: The Kyuubi was probably resting somewhere desolate, and he would need to be found.

"Well, should we leave them alone, seeing as they didn't really end your plans, Tobi-sama?" The Black half questioned, motioning towards the bodies, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Tobi simply scoffed as he stared down the bodies, as if he saw them beneath his notice. Which they were.

"No...go ahead and eat...It'd be bad if Konoha found these bodies so soon after the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's 'death'. I will be returning to Amegakure to give Pein his orders...don't take too long." With those words, Tobi had disappeared into a swirling vortex, all traces of the Sharingan-wielding man gone. Zetsu merely shrugged, and turned towards the bodies, the anticipation in his eyes reaching their max.

It would only be a few minutes before there was no trace of the two ever being there.

* * *

Konoha: Day Time

Hiruzen stood on top of the Hokage's Administration Building, preparing for the assembly of Konoha to declare the death of their Jinchuuriki. While most villages, such as Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, actually treated their Jinchuuriki with the proper respect, Konoha was sadly not like that. If the civilians, let alone most of the shinobi populace, couldn't recognize the difference between a box, and it's contents, then what hope was there for understanding? That was the question Hiruzen had asked himself every morning, for the past five years of his life.

However, Hiruzen knew that things were about to get worse. With the distinct clacking of geta, the Sarutobi clan leader could only close his eyes. His student had returned to the village, no doubt hearing about her goddaughter.

"So, sensei...it's been a long time." The man's normally playfun tone was gone, replaced by cold that did not belong. Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose as he regarded his student. He hadn't aged a bit since he last saw him. His long white hair was still as spiky as it was long, the mane reaching past the middle of his torso. He still wore the two-piece jade outfit, covered by a red haori with two yellow circles on either side. The man's face was stern, and the chin was bulky, instead of pointed.

"Yes, it has, Jiraiya...I assume you're here for the funeral?" Hiruzen asked, and tried to keep his composure as he felt the unmistakable feeling of guilt well up in his stomach. It was like a jar of nails shattering inside of the aged man's stomach, and he could barely keep himself from breaking down in front of his student, as he remembered the young Uzumaki's face, which was normally bright and cheerful, turned dull, and lifeless. To see the same cheerful girl in his dreams, parading around in his office like old times, in his dream, turn into a nightmare as the thought of her being gone from the world invaded his mind. It was like when Biwako died, all over again.

Jiraiya didn't answer, but instead, walked to stand behind his teacher, bearing witness towards the large crowd that had began clustering in front of the tower. While many knew it was supposed to be a day for mourning, many civilians had decided to go in the clothes they had passed out in, seeing as the parties stretched into the day, and some were even arriving from parties that had been going on. The clan heads, along with several of their clan members, wore black outfits, signifying their respect for the girl. Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai were also in the crowd, along with Ibiki, and Anko. All of which were wearing darker clothing. Surprisingly enough, as Hiruzen scanned the area, he couldn't see the Ichiraku Family anywhere in sight.

As Hiruzen turned towards his silent student, he could only watch as the man came close to summoning Gamabunta upon many in the crowd, rage filled eyes glaring at the various people that were still gathered, celebrating Naru's death. Turning on heel, the Gama-sennin glanced at the Hokage monument, before shaking his head in sorrow.

"It must pain the founders of Konoha to see what this village has come to...a village that when created, had imagined equality for all, not with others being 'higher', or 'lower', than others. Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sama, and Minato would all be ashamed in this village. However, like me, they are also ashamed in you, Sarutobi-sensei, for letting it escalate to this point. You are the Hokage, act like it. Otherwise, I might as well defect, like Orochi-teme did." With that said, Jiraiya used the shunshin to disappear from the room, leaving the Sandaime to address the crowd in his lonesome. Coughing into his hand, Hiruzen easily gathered the attention of all the people gathered there.

"Greetings, denizens of Konoha. As most of you know, there was a young girl in this village, around the age of five, and she was a very special person. Her name was Uzumaki Naru, and she was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. I trusted you all with that information five years ago, hoping that my people would be accepting, and extend the Will of Fire towards someone who also felt pain because of the Kyuubi's rampage." Hiruzen stopped, feeling an immense wave of disgust boil within him, as he heard several snorts of disgust, and even several shouts of 'Lies'. Having enough, the Hokage switched from 'Grandfather Mode', to 'God of Shinobi' mode. "ENOUGH! SINCE YOU ALL WISH TO CALL EVEN YOUR HOKAGE A LIAR, WHY DON'T I TELL YOU THE TRUTH? I AM DISAPPOINTED IN EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! NONE OF YOU COULD EVEN COMPREHEND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER, AND FOR THE SHINOBI WHOM DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THE GIRL, YOU SHOULD GO HOME AND SLIT YOUR STOMACHS OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR THIS STUPIDITY. YOU WISH TO KNOW THE TRUTH, WHY DON'T I TELL YOU JUST WHOM YOU KILLED? NARU WAS THE DAUGHTER OF NAMIKAZE MINATO, AND UZUMAKI KUSHINA! YOU ALL KILLED THE YONDAIME'S LEGACY!" With that, he was met with plenty pairs of shocked eyes, and calmed himself down.

Letting them take it all then, Hiruzen stared down several ANBU within the crowds, silently giving the signal to act. As he did this, they created a single pathway through the crowds, so that there was a clear pathway. As the doors to the Administrative Building opened, three figures were carrying out a casket that was quite small. They were Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, and surprisingly enough, Hyuuga Hiashi, were carrying it. As they walked down the clearing, several people were tempted to throw things, but could not, for they would be insulting two of the highest clans in Konoha. Such an act could warrant public execution, and the disgracing of their families should they share the same intent.

"As such, we are going to bury her with her parents...the parents she should have had from the very beginning..." With that, Hiruzen retired inside, the ANBU lingering only long enough to give the three with a casket enough time to walk forward without interruption. As soon as they got away from the majority of the people, the ANBU dispersed themselves one by one, before appearing somewhere nearby the three, watching them from the shadows, should any bold ones get an idea.

Surprisingly enough, nobody rushed after them in a desperate attempt to get one final shot at the Uzumaki girl. While many of them still held a stance of hatred when concerning the girl, almost everyone in the clearing knew that disrupting the dead usually ended bad, so out of self preservation, they kept back. Although, about five people were...'escorted' away from the premises by ANBU, because they were going ot throw something. Hell, one of the people was going to throw an explosive-tag wrapped kunai. Not the best idea...

From within the crowd, Uchiha Sasuke eyed his mother, and brother, carefully, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. As his gaze lingered on them for a few more moments, he turned towards Fugaku, and tugged on the sleeve of his robes. Feeling the pull, Fugaku raised an eyebrow at his son, before sighing. "Yes, what is it that you want, Sasuke?" The Uchiha patriarch questioned, his eyes still wary of any possible attackers that wanted some last minute vengeance. Sasuke huffed at the formality, but shook it off.

"Tou-san, who is in the box? Kaa-chan is crying, and Nii-san looks like he wants to hurt something." Sasuke stated, his question surprising the elder man. He expected it to be related to why he had to be here, but gave his son a pleased smile. Reaching down towards the young Uchiha, Fugaku merely ruffled the boy's hair, before returning his attention towards the crowd. "Tou-san? Tou-san, answer me!" It was actually quite funny, to see the younger boy pouting, while stomping his foot.

"Well, Sasuke, the person in that box was someone very important to your mother. Her name was Uzumaki Naru, and she would have been your adopted sister, had the elders, and civilian council, not intervened. She should have been in the Uchiha clan from the start, seeing as Mikoto-koi had legal rights to her, because she was Naru's godmother. Although, it appears as if Konoha has become too corrupted by the stupidity of the civilians." The last part was muttered to himself, but Sasuke caught it anyway.

On the inside of the building, Hiruzen was trying his best to console himself, trying to remind himself that he was the Hokage, and that he had to be strong. Though it didn't quite help his resolve, if he burst out with a sob when he dared to glance at the Yondaime's picture. It was first taken at orientation, with Minato giving the camera a stern face. Hiruzen remembered it like yesterday...but then, Kushina came around, and brought the biggest smile on the man's face. It was on that day, that Kushina had found out she was pregnant, and the couple couldn't be happier. Of course, due to Minato's infamous actions in the Third Great Shinobi War, they were married in secret, so that none would target Kushina to get to him.

Although, that plan seemed to have crashed. The Kyuubi itself decided to rip from Kushina as she gave birth, and had a hand in killing them both. Even now, the Kyuubi had single handedly ended two clans at once, just from the attack five years ago. 'If the damn beast wasn't sealed within her that night...she would still be here...I hope you're burning in Hell, Kyuubi...' Hiruzen thought with distaste, before bringing out a bottle of sake. He needed a drink to ease his mind.

* * *

At Konoha's Memorial Stone...

Kakashi stood in front of the stone, his eyes gazing over the names of Konoha's fallen heroes. While this was a daily ritual, today was special. Instead of merely glancing at the names of fallen comrades...he got to add a new one. Even years of emotional training could not help Kakashi, as he openly broke down in front of the stone, kneeling before it. Taking out a kunai, Kakashi closed his eyes in remorse. He had promised Minato-sensei...that should anything happen to him, he'd take care of the man's daughter.

'And as usual...I broke that promise.' Kakashi thought to himself bitterly, the stinging in his eyes not gone yet, as he tried drying his eyes. He had lost the only family he had left, and it was horrifying. To know that everyone he had cared about, had died...it was crushing for the poor man. Shaking his head, Kakashi brought the kunai to a free space on the stone, thinking of the many memories he had shared with the young girl.

As he remembered all of the good times he had with her, even tucking her in at night, Kakashi calmed himself enough to sing the song that was uttered to Naru's sleeping form, as Kakashi left the room.

"Hush little angel..." Kakashi began, nearing the tip of the kunai towards the stone.

"Dry those eyes.." With that, Kakashi began carving the first kanji, trying to keep control of himself. He didn't want to break down like that...he had to be strong. He was an ANBU Captain, for Kami's sake! It wouldn't do well for Konoha's elite to be so open...

"I'll be with you tomorrow, as we fly through the skies." With that, Kakashi clamped his eyes shut, feeling particularly sick at that moment. Using a medical technique he had copied ages ago, he tried easing the pain coursing through him, but it did nothing.

"And if you not see me there..." Kakashi finished carving at that point, and stood at full height. He shook his head, thinking of everything that had occured. Perhaps he would go to the bar later with Asuma. It was probably taking it's toll on him too, seeing as his father was probably in hysterics. After all, Naru was basically family to the Sarutobi clan.

"Just know that Uncle Kakashi will always care..." As he finished, he turned away from the stone, staring at the clouds that began gathering within the skies. Hearing the distinct sound of thunder, Kakashi began walking down the dirt path that led back towards the village, intent on drinking his problems away, then getting sleep. He would probably request a mission, and throw himself in his work again...not like it mattered. It barely helped the pain. Giving the stone one last glance, Kakashi stood motionless as the rain began to pour down. "Gomen, Obito...Rin...Minato-sensei...Kushina-sama...Naru-chan...it seems I have failed yet again...maybe soon, I'll be with you..." With that, Kakashi turned on heel, rushing into the woods. He didn't notice that Jiraiya has just arrived through the trees, a bouquet of red roses held in hand.

Jiraiya said nothing, but walked up towards the stone, his eyes burning with pain. Staring at the memorial, Jiraiya could do nothing but sigh, and shake his head. It felt like Minato was pissed at him from the Heavens for not being there more...and Kushina would probably kick him back down to the Earth, when it was the Gama-sennin's time.

"Hey, kiddo...we may not have met personally, seeing as I was busy..." Jiraiya broke off there, feeling embarrassed. He was not only talking to the stone, but he was giving it excuses too. "Ugh, anyway, what I wanted to say, was I'm sorry. I tried sending in funds to help you, and hopefully you got them...However, knowing the council, they might have taken it for themselves. They were always greedy bastards, the civilians anyway." Coughing into his hand, Jiraiya set down the roses in front of the memorial, giving it a small smile as he observed it. "I hope you like the roses, gaki. Wherever you are, I hope you find peace." Jiraiya just used the shunshin to disappear.

Although, should he have stayed longer, he would have seen something quite beautiful.

As the rain let up a bit, there was a glimpse of a rainbow across the skies, and as that happened, the wind had picked up. The cherry blossom trees around the area, suddenly released some leaves, letting it swirl around the memorial for a moment. It looked like a dance of sorts, with the wind being the conductor of the melody they moved with. However, shortly after it began, it ended. The rain picked up harder, and the blossoms fell to the ground, scattered within the grass. Although if one looked closely enough, the roses that Jiraiya had set on the ground, were surrounded by some of the blossoms in a perfect circle.

* * *

An Unknown Area...

Light encircled an Octagon-shaped room, fluttering through the glass panes that dotted the walls. The room was quite similar to that of a church tower, sans for the religious symbols, and artwork. Within the tall room, there was a podium directly in the center, that rose high though rhe room, ending only about fifteen feet from the ceiling. At the top, there was a pool of water, with a bell hanging overhead. The water seemed to swirl about, as if a force was constantly moving it. Appearing in a swirl of light, a man that looked to be of about sixteen years of age had appeared before the pool, accompanied by a woman that looked eighteen.

The man was quite pale, yet wasn't 'ghost' looking, like those whom were albino. Hehad shoulder-length, spiky, shining silver hair, that parted towards the left, as the right side hung over his shoulder. He had a sharp chin, and a calming smile. Although, his eyes were quite offsetting. He had black sclera, and blue irises. He wore a simple white kimono the stretched a bit past his ankles, along with azure prayer beads that were hung from his neck.

The girl shared his skin tone, yet she looked much more...exotic, to say the least. Her pitch black hair was long, and silky. It stretched to her waist, where it had a stone-gray tint to it. In the front, her bangs were fringed in the middle, with the rest swept to the side, where they draped over her shoulders, stretching to her chest. She, like the one she appeared with, had a charming smile, and her eyes were a charcoal color, yet had warmth in them. Her outfit was also much more extravagant than her companion's. She wore a pitch-black kimono that stopped around her shins, where it was gilded with a bright white. Unlike the man, she wore crimson high-heels, with black legging. She also wore a silver haori over her attire, which had the kanji for 'Shadow' on the back.

The man stepped forward, gazing into the water, as he sat down on the edge of it. He was sitting atop his legs, tilting his head curiously as if he had found something of great interest, like a child that saw a toy they wanted. The girl simply sighed, before walking up to the man, lightly smacking him on the head.

"You know, Shini-kun, if you wanted to spend time with me, all you had to do was ask...your big sister isn't so busy with work, that she would forget her brother." The girl scolded, waving a finger in front of 'Shini-kun's' face, but the boy never broke his gaze from the water. "Come on, Shinigami...you should be working too, not caught up with some short-lived interest in the mortal world's activities..." Again, her brother ignored her, and still stared at the water, unmoving. Facepalming, the woman began walking towards the edge of the platform, and was about to leave, when the boy called out.

"Wait, Yami...it's happening! Come look, you'll be amazed!" Shinigami exclaimed, excitement filling his voice. The water was turning a scarlet color, as a vermilion tint swirled about in the middle. Seeing the strange occurance, Yami reached into her sleeve, and brought about what seemed to be a simple dagger, but Shinigami held up his hand to stop her. "C'mon now, don't ruin the fun. I worked hard on this!"

Yami just twitched, before flicking it back into her sleeve. Sitting down beside her brother, she could only stare in wonder, as the water began really fizzing. It was like she was watching a light-show, as the various colors danced about the water. Suddenly, a light red beam erupted from the water, causing the siblings to jump back from the water, equally curious looks etched upon their faces. It had only lasted a second, but the beam was actually quite beautiful. The water had began clearing up, and Yami peered at it, a shocked look on her face.

"Shini-kun, you can't be serious! You know how pissed Kami will get if she finds out about this! Hurry, we have to send her back, and out of our portal between the worlds. It's not too late, we can find a way to g-" Yami was cut off yet again, as her brother began giving a laugh, an insane like grin upon the God's face. "Shini-kun? You're sort of scaring me here. We should get her out of here."

"Relax, I have no intention of letting Kami find out about my side project. It has been so long since I've found such a worthy candidate..." With that, Shinigami turned to analyze the figure in the pool, his grin stretching further as he looked her over, seeing the seal that was visible on her stomach glow brightly. The figure looked to be about twelve years old, and she was quite stunning for the age. She had long, golden hair, with red tints striking through it occasionally. It reached the middle of her back, and the bangs were parted in the front, her left eye covered by hair. From what could be told from her single visible eye, they were a slate color, and looked as if they had been unfocused for a long period of time. The girl's skin tone was pale like the other occupants in the room, but also looked a bit tan.

"I swear, if you get our asses in trouble, I had no idea about this..." Yami muttered as she actually did disappear this time. Although, it seemed like Shinigami was too enthralled with the girl in the water to pay any attention, and just simply waved his sister off, even if it was right after she had left the area. Giving the water an inquisitive stare, Shinigami coated his hand in a blue light, before lowering it towards the tip of the water. As this happened, it seemed like the water surged a bit, glowing a bright blue, before fading back to it's normal colors. The woman underneath the water began to float in midair, before she calmly landed atop the water, being guided by the Shinigami's now outstretched hand.

As he snapped his free hand's fingers, the woman was coated in a pitch black cloak, although it seemed tattered from use. The girl's eyes had changed color, to a burning crimson, instead of a dull slate color. Now that he could see clearly, he grinned as the three whisker marks on each cheek began to fade away slowly, becoming only pencil-thin at the end of the process.

There seemed to be a disturbance in the area, for Shinigami felt as if he

"Come now...you've been asleep for quite a long time...isn't it time you got up..." Shinigami began, outstretching his arms, as if awaiting the girl to come hug him, like she was greeting an old friend. The girl simply stared at him, her gaze still glazed over, but not lifeless either. Showing his sharp teeth, the Shinigami continued, his eyes showing a hint of playfulness.

"...Uzumaki Naru?"

* * *

Yeah. I'm a bit disappointed in myself. This took forever to upload because of the internet problems I was facing. Hopefully, I won't be maimed too badly. But yes, I will try to keep updating frequently, instead of being a tease. Thank you for all of your kind reviews, and hopefully, your patience didn't fade away to the point where you thought the story was dead.

Now, good night, and have pleasent dreams.

~Yatero


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